On World Obesity Day, international pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk Egypt addressed the impact of obesity on Egyptians during a press conference, unveiling the latest updates on obesity across Egypt in 2021.

According to Professor Rasha Tarif, Head of Pediatric Endocrinology and Obesity Unit, Ain Shams University, "Earlier research in Egypt suggested that obesity is a major public health issue among school children. According to several studies, more than a third of children and adolescents surveyed were overweight or obese, with roughly two million adolescents expected to be morbidly obese within the next three years, and this leads to different comorbidities like type 2 diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia and fatty liver diseases.”

To spread awareness on the issue, the conference, titled “Obesity: the real pandemic,” also reviewed studies on the disease’s impact on Egyptian society’s health, economy, and social well-being; as well discussions on the prevalence and causes of overweight among Egyptian adolescents, effects of obesity on women's health, and how to promote awareness to eliminate obesity.

Novo Nordisk Egypt also showcased their efforts towards dealing with obesity, raising awareness on the issue and of the 10,000 people living with obesity in Egypt by the end of 2021.

Dr. Ayman Hassan, vice president and General Manager of Novo Nordisk Egypt, outlined the company’s current month strategy during the conference, which aims to raise awareness of 5,000 additional person with obesity as well as increase the initiatives for raising awareness to reach 20,000 people living with obesity by the end of 2022.

Novo Nordisk Egypt is keen to develop innovative treatment options that help people with chronic diseases, using its expertise and innovation to help understand and manage obesity, he added.

The company has a long-standing record as a world leader in the treatment of diabetes and other chronic diseases, including obesity, which is considered a chronic disease that requires long-term management.

Since obesity is a complex and multifactorial disease influenced by many physiological, psychological, environmental, genetic, and socioeconomic factors, the World Health Organization and the American Medical Association agreed on a definition of obesity as the accumulation of excess fat that may impair health.

Professor Tarif also mentioned that the prevalence of obesity among children and adolescents reached 185 million, and is expected to reach 254 million by year 2030, as per the statistics from World Obesity Federation in 2021; putting into consideration that the percentages are higher in those with family history of obesity.

According to Dr. Inass Shaltout, Professor of Internal Medicine and Diabetes, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, being overweight or obese raises the relative risk of diabetes and coronary artery disease in females.

Females living with obesity are more prone to suffering from lower back discomfort and osteoporosis, and it has a detrimental impact on all contraceptive techniques and fertility. Females living with obesity are also more likely to acquire several malignancies, including endometrial, cervical, breast, and ovarian cancer, explained Shaltout.

She added that the most recent statistics indicate a relationship between obesity and depression in females and that 26% of non-pregnant women between the ages of 20 and 39 are overweight, and 29 percent are obese, which predisposes to polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). The 100 Million Health campaign revealed that 49.5% of the Egyptian females are suffering from obesity that may lead to the obesity related diseases and afflictions.

Professor Ibrahim El Ebrashy, Professor of Internal Medicine, Diabetes and Endocrinology at Cairo University, stated that obesity causes a variety of comorbid conditions, including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and sleep apnea. As per the latest studies done in Egypt, the cost of treating the obesity related comorbidities is 62 billion EGP in 2020, and the mortality rates reached 19% that is considered a real risk to the people’s lives and according to the global surveys obesity accounts for 41 million deaths annually.

Professor Amr Abdel-Moneim, Professor of Anesthesia, surgical intensive care and therapeutic nutrition at faculty of medicine, Cairo University, stated that one of the obesity causes is the unhealthy lifestyle regarding eating time and insufficient sleeping and eating high carbohydrates, high fats diets with low fiber content in addition to the sedentary lifestyle to keep the energy expenditure levels in the body.

Egypt currently has nine national goals for non-communicable diseases, part of their efforts to reduce exposure to risk factors, improve early detection and effective treatment of non-communicable diseases through a primary health care approach, and focus on patient-centered care, professor Abdel-Moneim added.

It aims to encourage people to "eat less and move more," urging healthcare providers to focus on a patient's comprehensive health management rather than simply their weight in order to address the fundamental causes of obesity, he concluded.